By Jennifer Weiss-Wolf | We are entering a new era for philanthropy—one that centers feminism. With major new commitments by billionaires like Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott, and a host of women’s funding networks like Women Moving Millions and Giving List Women organizing with increasing urgency, the shift could not come at a more vital moment.
Dollars-wise, the need is real: Funding for women and girls, last assessed in 2020 at $8.8 billion, amounts to less than 2 percent of all philanthropic giving, with less than half of 1 percent of all foundation grants going toward women and girls of color.
As a matter of political and policy urgency, global democratic backsliding makes gender equity a crucial investment. With ascending authoritarianism comes inevitable attempts to rollback women’s, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. The connection is not coincidental: There is not an authoritarian playbook that does not make gender a core focus.
This installment of Women & Democracy is focused on feminist philanthropy—and the visionary leaders charting new ground to demonstrate exactly what it looks like to fund and mobilize at the intersection of gender and democracy.
Melinda French Gates wrote: “In nearly 20 years as an advocate for women and girls, I have learned that there will always be people who say it’s not the right time to talk about gender equality.” Not here at Ms. And not when it comes to funding a more equitable, more robust democracy.
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